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Description
The aim of the project is to provide access to information on psychoactive substances, including legal ones: alcohol, nicotine and caffeine, as well as providing psychological and legal support to those in need. The problem we are responding to as SIN (the Social Initiative for Narcopolitics) is the lack of education about psychoactive substances and carrying out policies based on intimidation and punishment. We want to counteract the stigmatisation and exclusion of substance users and addicts. Our activities are grounded in the International Standards on Drug Use Prevention, developed by the World Health Organization in 2013. The key activities include providing education at music events and festivals as well as online through social media, podcasts and videos. We also provide psychological and legal support to those in need. Our direct target groups are primarily youth and young adults at risk of exclusion due to substance use or addiction. We also reach out to professionals working in the field of psychoactive substances and addictions, students and graduates of psychology, law, neuroscience and chemistry. Indirect beneficiaries of the project are the target group''s relatives and friends. Partners in the project are the Belarusian National Youth Council RADA and the informal organisation Legalize Belarus. The partners provide resources necessary to provide legal and psychological assistance to persons convicted under Article 328 of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Belarus and their families.
Summary of project results
Every human right is access to information. In Poland, instead of education about psychoactive substances, including alcohol, ineffective methods of intimidating youth and young adults are used. The truth is distorted by basing educational materials on anecdotal cases. Some State Institutions present people using psychoactive substances and people addicted to them only as social margins and criminals. The sniffer dog shows are only intended to demonstrate the effectiveness of law enforcement agencies. However, they do not provide age-appropriate prevention. Such methods do not inspire confidence in young people. Especially in the teenage period, this may result in risky behaviors using psychoactive substances and the development of addictions. Therefore, there is a lack of solutions based on empathy, understanding and respect. This approach has been promoted by the World Health Organization since 2013 in its document International Standards for Addiction Prevention.
The stigmatization of users of psychoactive substances and people addicted to them discourages them from seeking psychological help. There is a fear of judgment among them and the therapist''s reluctance to cooperate unless they maintain complete abstinence. In addition, human rights are violated by law enforcement agencies, which results in an increased supply of legal and psychological assistance. Access to these forms of assistance is often limited by an insufficient number of specialists or by a price barrier.
Article 328 of the Belarusian Criminal Code includes harsh penalties for users of psychoactive substances, sentencing them to long sentences in inhumane conditions. Access to psychological and legal help for such people is practically non-existent. The only organization that works to change this situation is the Matki-328 movement. They are fighting for a rational drug law that will focus on the distributors of psychoactive substances, not the people who use them.
The project provided youth and young adults throughout Poland with education about psychoactive substances, including alcohol. Podcasts were created and social media campaigns were carried out. They present both the desired effects of psychoactive substances and the dangers of using them. They also present harm reduction activities, which are an important element of prevention if a person decides to use substances. Their purpose is to minimize the negative impact of psychoactive substances on the person and their environment.
The project also carried out outreach activities, i.e. conducted among people using psychoactive substances in Silesia, e.g. club events or festivals. As part of these activities, people had access to peer education. Qualified educators passed on knowledge and answered questions in an atmosphere of empathy, understanding and respect. The stand included preventive materials such as: condoms; carbon filters; colorimetric tests for testing substances; earplugs; etc. aimed at reducing the risks resulting from both participation in the event and the possible use of substances. The events were patrolled to ensure safe fun for participants, as well as to undertake crisis interventions in the event of risky behavior or a threat to the health and life of participants.
The project provided free psychological and legal assistance to both people living in Silesia, people convicted under Article 328 in Belarus and their families. The implementation of this activity was ensured by specialists who, based on the latest research, provided help by looking for the sources of problems and not their effect, which is the use of psychoactive substances. A map of trusted centers, psychologists and lawyers was also created, available on the project website.
A total of 35 volunteers took part in the project and worked on implementing the activities. This made it possible to reach over 1,300 people as part of educational activities conducted in the form of a podcast and a social media campaign.
Volunteers also had approximately 1,500 conversations with people participating in events and festivals in Silesia, as well as online meetings during the period covered by pandemic restrictions. There was a patrol at each live event, and the number of crisis interventions undertaken by volunteers was 14.
Educational activities had an impact on changing the perception of prevention from the point of view of people using psychoactive substances and addicted to them. Through the atmosphere of mutual respect and trust, the project not only had a positive impact on the self-awareness of people in the target group, but also on their surroundings. The project actively destigmatized the image of a person using psychoactive substances or a person addicted to them as a social margin and a criminal, by presenting him or her as a person with needs and problems.
The project also contributed to the normalization of seeking psychological help. Observations made during and after the activities indicate that more and more people in the target group speak openly about using the institution of a psychologist and share their experiences. The number of inquiries about specialists and centers recommended by the organization has also increased, which is answered by a constantly updated map created as part of the project.
Psychological and legal assistance for people convicted under Article 328 of the Belarusian Criminal Code contributed to increasing the experience and motivation of the partner organization Legalize Belarus in implementing this type of activities. People using these services as part of the project received support that the Belarusian authorities are not willing to provide them. Their hope and belief that the rest of Europe is not indifferent to their fate has also increased.